Coke quench car



June 11, 1957 c. H. HUGIQ-IES coxz: QUENCH CAR Filed July 9, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 v INVENTOR.

CHARLES H. HUGHES ATTbRNEY June 11, 1957- c. H. HUGHES COKE QUENCH CAR Filed July 9, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CHARLES H. HUGHES ATTORNEY June 11, 1957 c. H. HUGHES 2,795,539

COKE QUENCH CAR Filed July 9, 195 s Sheeis-Sheet s mm vrok Arrow? CHARLES H. HUGHES June 11, 1957 I c. H. HUGHES coma: QUENCH CAR 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 9, 1954 INVENTOR. CHARLES H. Hqsuzs ATTORNEY June 11, 1957 c. H. HUGHES coKa QUENCH CAR 5 sheets sheet 5 Filed Jul Ly 9, 1954 INVENTOR. CHARLES H. HUGHES ATTORNEY II t | 5. l I I l I 1 I I :I I

I I I l I I |I II II II II 'I COKE QUENCH CAR Charles H. Hughes, Glen Ridge, N. J., assignor to Hughes By-Product Coke Oven Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 9, 1954, Serial No. 442,387

6 Claims. (Cl. 202-83) The present invention relates to the art of heat treating and calcining hot carbonaceous material, and, more particularly, to an improved quench car for red hot coke and especially adapted to further heat treat and/ or quench the same.

Heretofore, the art has pushed red hot coke coming from coke ovens into open top cars of steel construction. As soon as all of the hot coke is pushed from the oven, the car of hot burning coke is quickly moved to the water quenching station. Thousands of gallons of water are sprayed onto the hot burning coke to reduce the temperature from about 1800 F. to about 110 F. After quenching, the coke contains about 10% of Water. When the coke is sold, a deduction of the weight of the water must be made from the coke tonnage.

In the manufacture of coke from heavy petroleum oil, tar and various coal mixtures, etc., it has been found undesirable to wet quench the red hot carbonaceous mass. Moreover, in producing such products on an industrial scale for commercial use and sale, it is likewise desirable to increase the specific gravity of the oil or tar coke, etc., especially when such coke is to be used as calcined electrode coke. Although attempts were made to overcome the foregoing difficulties and other disadvantages, none, as far as I am aware, was entirely successful when carried into practice commercially on an industrial scale.

It has now been discovered that an improved coke quench car can be constructed with a section of the top movable to provide an inlet port or opening through which hot coke is pushed from an oven into the quench car. Upon pushing the red hot coke from the oven into the car, the movable top can be closed and the coke heat treated to increase the specific gravity thereof and/ or the coke can be dry quenched with inert gases or steam.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved coke car with an insulated refractory lining in which red hot coke can be further treated, especially to effect combustion of volatile matter remaining in the coke in order to increase the specific gravity by increasing the temperature throughout the mass from about 1800 F. to about 2400 P. which is the temperature required to calcine coke of low specific gravity to one of high specific gravity of about two or more.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved coke car of closed construction adapted to effect partial combustion of hot coke contained therein and having special distributing system incorporated in the bottom of the car structure for introducing air required for partial combustion of the coke which will produce a calcining temperature throughout the entire body of the coke.

The invention also contemplates providing an improved coke car capable of effecting partial combustion of hot coke and volatiles and adapted to provide additional heat from auxiliary burners mounted in the chamber above the coke whenever the coke does not contain sufficient volume of volatile matter to supply sufficient heat to produce a suitable temperature required to convert low spettes Patent cific gravity coke into high specific gravity calcined coke, especially suitable for use as electrode coke.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved coke quench car of closed steel on brick construction adapted to dry quench red hot coke by means of steam or inert gases, such as low temperature waste prodnets of combustion, whereby the temperature of the coke can be decreased and the .cooled coke can be discharged onto a coke Wharf or coke conveyor belt or other handling equipment below the ignition temperature of the coke.

The invention further contemplates providing an improved coke quench 'car having a rotatable curved door constituting a top section of the car for opening and closing the same and equipped with means for operating said door with compressed air.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an improved coke car embodying the present invention and standing next to a broad coke oven (shown in dotted lines);

Fig. 2 depicts a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and showing the side dumping of coke, the refractory lining inside the steel shell of the car, the rotatable top section or door, piping for air, fuel, steam or inert gas, and a waste gas stack, and a gate adapted when opened to permit the discharge of heattreated and/ or cooled coke;

Fig. 3 shows a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing the refractory lining within the steel shell, the air supply pipes and line system for conducting waste gases or steam, etc., into the atmosphere;

Fig. 4 illustrates a vertical cross sectional view similar to Fig. 2, except a modified cover is provided and a modified dumping gate is also provided in the bottom of the car similar to that provided in standard bottom dump freight cars; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Broadly stated, the present invention contemplates the provision of an improved coke car for the further heat treatment and/ or dry quenching of hot coke. In carrying this invention into practice, it has been found that it is preferred for best results to provide 'an insulated refractory lining PE in the steel shells of the coke car in order to withstand high temperatures, especially those obtained during the heat treatment or combustion of the volatile matter in the coke to increase the specific gravity. In this manner, the time cycle for keeping the hot coke in the oven is decreased and the daily capacity of each oven is increased. As there is ample time between periods for pushing coke from other ovens, the hot coke can be heat treated and/ or dry quenched before the car is needed for the pushing of the next charge of hot coke.

For the purpose of giving those skilled in the art a better understanding of the invention and a better appreciation of the advantages of the invention, the following description is given of a preferred embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3. As may be clearly seen, the improved coke car has steel shells erected on standard trucks ST provided with conventional wheels W. Over the new coke car, a permanent car top CT, steel encased, is provided. Within the car top, a cover or rotatable top section RS is mounted. Located at each end of the car is a supporting arm RA, each of which is attached to the cover RS. For opening and closing the cover RS, each end of the car is equipped with a stand ard compressed air motor M. By controlling the air motor, the cover and supporting arms can be rotated to any desired position from a fully closed to a fully opened condition. Compressed air for operating the air motor is stored under pressure in a cylinder AC at one end of the car. As will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art, the rotatable cover is under the manual control of an operator who turns the air on and off as required by means of conventional air controls (not shown).

Hand operated gates G are positioned at the bottom of the car through which dry quenched or heat-treated coke can be discharged. Fuel gas piping GP is mounted within the car and is connected to burners GB. On the top of the car a waste gas stack WGS is mounted and is used for venting the waste gases, etc., including any products of combustion when hot coke is being heat treated and/ or dry quenched.

The present invention is particularly applicable to the handling, treating and/ or dry quenching of red hot coke from a broad oven, especially oil or tar coke which is to be made into high specific gravity coke, particularly useful for electrodes. Broad ovens which are particularly suitable for use with the improved coke car are those disclosed in my U. S. Patents Nos. 2,426,612; 2,486,413; and 2,640,805. When an oven is ready to be pushed, the improved car is moved into alignment with the open oven door OD. The cover or top section RS of the car is opened and the red hot coke is pushed into the coke car. Upon emptying the oven, the rotary cover RS is rotated by means of the air motor to a closed position. The hot coke can then be heat treated 'and/or dry quenched. For the combustion of the volatile matter in the coke, air is supplied through a header pipe AH into branch pipes BP and distributing air ducts AD. To control the amount of air supplied to the air duct AD and then to the chamber within the car and above the hot coke, regulating valves RV are used. The side walls of the air ducts AD have a plurality of holes or ports H as may be seen from Figs. 2 and 3. Through the ports H, air under pressure is forced into the bed of hot coke. Combustion of volatile matter in the coke occurs and the temperature is increased and the specific gravity is likewise increased.

Hot waste products of combustion resulting from the burning of the volatile matter flow out of the chamber via waste gas pipe WG and stack WGS. In the stack, a damper D is mounted and is used in the usual manner. The stack, waste gas pipe, the cover and the inner surface of the steel car are protected from the heat with a refractory lining, such as fire brick FB, which is backed up with insulating fire brick IB.

After completing the heat treatment of the hot coke, the air is shut off. To decrease the temperature of the hot coke, steam or inert gases are introduced into the car via lines AH and BP and ducts AD and holes or ports H. When the coke is cooled to the desired temperature, say 110 F., the operator pulls levers L which open rotary gates G and which permit "the cooled coke to slide from the car onto coke wharf or conveyor belt or other coke handling equipment. As those skilled in the art will understand, the bottom of the car is inclined at an angle which is greater than the angle of repose for the coke and which causes it to slide when the rotary gates are opened.

Whenever the combustion of the volatile matter does not supply enough heat to raise the temperature of the coke to the desired temperature, say about 2400 F., auxiliary fuel, such as fuel gas, can be supplied and burned to provide additional heat and to increase the temperature to the desired degree. Thus, fuel gas is supplied from pipe GP through burner pipes GB. The volume of fuel gas is regulated by means of valves GV In case it is desired to use the modified discharging gate at the bottom of the car (see Fig. 4), the same procedure is employed as described hereinabove. modified car is constructed with the bottom made of two inclined surfaces which permit the discharge of coke from the-bottom of the car through door DG into a The i track hopper located in the center of any railroad track similar to standard freight car practice. As may be seen from Fig. 4, door DG is hinged and an arm and counterweight CW kept the door closed. Other parts are similar to those described in connection with the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3. Top cover RS, however, is of the hinged type as clearly shown in Fig. 4 instead of being of the rotary type as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments, it is to be underst-ood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and appended claims.

I claim:

1. An improved coke car comprising a refractory lined shell adapted to hold coke undergoing treatment, a refractory lined inlet port provided in said shell and adapted to admit red hot coke to said shell and to close the same to the atmosphere, a distributing system incorporated in the bottom of said shell for introducing air required for partial combustion of hot coke in said shell and for the production of calcining temperatures throughout said hot coke, and a refractory lined outlet port provided in said shell and adapted to discharge calcined coke.

2. An improved coke car comprising a refractory lined shell adapted to hold coke undergoing treatment, a refractory lined inlet port provided in said shell and adapted to admit red hot coke to said shell and to close the same to the atmosphere, a distributing system incorporated in the bottom of said shell for introducing air required for partial combustion of hot coke in said shell and for the production of calcining temperatures throughout said hot coke, auxiliary burners mounted in said shell above the coke level to provide additional heat whenever the coke does not contain sufiicient volume of volatile matter to supply sufiicient heat to produce suitable calcin ing temperatures required to convert low specific gravity coke into high specific gravity calcined coke, and a refractory lined outlet port provided in said shell and adapted to discharge calcined coke.

3. An improved coke car comprising a closed steel shell having an inlet port on the top thereof and an outlet port on the bottom thereof, a refractory brick lining for said shell, a movable top section adapted to cooperate with said inlet port for admitting red hot coke from an oven, a movable bottom gate operatively associated with said outlet port and adapted for discharging the calcined coke from said shell, and means for introducing a dry quenching fluid of the group consisting of steam, inert gas and low temperature waste products of combustion into said steel shell for dry quenching red hot coke and decreasing the temperature thereof whereby cooled coke can be discharged to coke handling equipment below the ignition temperature of the coke.

4. An improved coke car comprising a closed steel shell having an inlet port on the top thereof and an outlet port on the bottom thereof, a refractory brick lining for said shell, a rotatable curved door constituting a movable top section adapted to cooperate with said inlet port for admitting red hot coke from an oven, a movable bottom gate operatively associated with said outlet port and adapted for discharging the calcined coke from said shell, means for operating said door with compressed air, and means for introducing a dry quenching fluid of the group consisting of steam, inert gas and low temperature waste products of combustion into said steel shell for dry quenching red hot coke and decreasing the temperature thereof whereby cooled coke can be discharged to coke handling equipment below the ignition temperature of the coke.

5. An improved coke quench car comprising a refractory lined shell adapted to a charge of red hot coke discharged from a coke oven and to withstand high temperatures, a movable top section extending along substantially the entire length of the shell and providing an inlet port of large rectangular cross section to said refractory lined shell for the introduction of red hot coke from a large door of a coke oven, a distributing system incorporated in the bottom of said shell for dry quenching red hot coke therein with a dry quenching fluid of the group consisting of steam, inert gas and low temperature waste products of combustion into said shell for dry quenching red hot coke and for decreasing the temperature thereof whereby cooled coke can be discharged to coke handling equipment below the ignition temperature of the coke, and a movable bottom section extending along substantially the entire length of said shell and providing an outlet port of large rectangular cross section for said shell for discharging coke after it has been dry quenched.

6. An improved coke car comprising a steel shell constituting the body of said car and being of such a size as to be capable of receiving a charge of red hot coke discharged from a coke oven, said shell having a bottom inclined at an angle greater than the angle of repose for the coke to cause coke to slide out of shell when freed, an insulated refractory lining for said shell capable of withstanding high temperatures, a refractory lined inlet port extending along substantially the entire length of the upper part of said shell to provide an opening of large rectangular cross section to said refractory lined shell for the introduction of red hot coke from a large door of a broad coke oven, a distributing system incorporated in the bottom of said shell for dry quenching red hot coke therein with a dry quenching fluid of the group consisting of steam, inert gas and low temperature Waste products of combustion for dry quenching red hot coke and for decreasing the temperature thereof whereby cooled coke can be discharged to coke handling equipment below the ignition temperature of the coke, and a refractory lined outlet port operatively associated with the lower part of said shell and extending along substantially the entire length thereof to provide an opening of largerectangular cross section for discharging and freeing coke from said shell by permitting it to slide ofi said inclined bottom after said coke has been dry quenched.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 761,251 Price May 31, 1904 1,661,211 Wussow Mar. 6, 1928. 2,048,193 Moetteli July 21, 1936 2,131,702. Berry Sept. 27, 1938 2,581,409 Harlow Jan. 8, 1952 2,661,324 Leifer Dec. 1, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 298,658 Great Britain Oct. 15, 1928 

1. AN IMPROVED COKE CAR COMPRISING A REFRACTORY LINED SHELL ADAPTED TO HOLD COKE UNDERGOING TREATMENT, A REFRACTORY LINED INLET PORT PROVIDED IN SAID SHELL AND ADAPTED TO ADMIT RED HOT COKE TO SAID SHELL AND TO CLOSE THE SAME TO THE ATMOSPHERE, A DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM INCORPORATED IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID SHELL FOR INTRODUCING AIR REQUIRED FOR PARTIAL COMBUSTION OF HOT COKE IN SAID SHELL AND FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CALCINING LINED OUTLET PORT PROVIDED IN HOT COKE, AND A REFRACTORY LINED OUTLET PORT PROVIDED IN SAID SHELL AND ADAPTED TO DISCHARGE CALCINED COKE. 